For this project, I aim to create my manifesto with an A1 ‘poster’ to support my ideas. When starting to research manifestos within fashion, my thoughts and beliefs I came across some strong valid research that alined. I hope to create a meaningful yet powerful final piece with a strong bank of research to support it.
What is a manifesto?
“ A public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate.”
Initial mind map
My core values
- Independance
- Tolerance
- Responsibility
- Honesty
- Originality
- Knowledge
- Vision
- Trust
- Self-respect
Who inspires me?
Stylists
- Isabella Blow
- Katy England
- Betsy Johnson
- Jess Grimshaw
- Lucinda Chambers
- Robbie Spencer
- Millie Foster Price
- Kate Young
- Lotta Volkova
- Mimi Del rey
Designers
- Rick Owens
- Ann Demeulemeester
- Martin Margiela
- Alexander McQueen
- Shaun Leane
- Sacai
- Dilara Findikoglu
- Ding Yun Zhang
- Frederic Molenac
- Harris Reed
- Fecal Matter
- Paula Mihovilovic Einfalt
- Helmut Lang
- A.F.Vandervorst
- Comme Des Garçons
- Junya Watanabe
- Yohji Yamamoto
- Gosha Rubchinskiy
- Maison Mihara Yasuhiro
- Hiroko Koshino
Photographers
- Nick Knight
- Helmut Newton
- Mario Testino
- Richard Avedon
- Peter Lindbergh
- Steven Meisel
- Bruce Weber
- Tim Walker
- Patrik Demarchelier
Anti-Fashion Manifesto by Li Edelkoort
The fashion worlds most respected trend forecaster Li Edelkoort released her manifesto back in 2015. It was a sigh of relief for many among the fashion industry as their concerns and thoughts had finally been spoken about. Her prescient ideas although talked about 6 years ago have only become more relevant in today’s world as the world tries to recover from the pandemic. The 10 main issues Edelkoort focuses around are marketing, advertising, education, materials, manufacturing, retailing, designers, fashion shows, the press and consumers alike. Whilst bravely confronting the well-known issues that have been going on for quite some time now it is fascinating how relevant they are today, when will the industry make a drastic change? I believe it is moving in the right way, but it is still far from perfect.
Anti Fashion- ‘An umbrella term for various styles of dress which are explicitly contrary to the fashion of the day.’
Slow Fashion to Save Minds by Georgina Johnson
In 2018 Georgina Johnson wrote a manifesto with mental health activist Sara Radin. Slow Fashion to Save Minds was created in response to the two of them experiencing anxiety, depression and burn-out, as a result of some of the well-known issues within the industry such as working conditions and discrimination. It was created as an outlook on the whole industry the issues within and how they truly felt at the time, the utopia they sought. mental health and race played an important part in their manifesto and that went along well with the theme of sustainability. The response was enormous, it resonated with so many creatives from not only the fashion industry. The manifesto lead to her bringing out a novel titled The Slow Grind which acts as a guide for the uncertain times we face and how important it is to slow down. This manifesto resonated with me as it reflected how tough the industry can be and the need for change.
The Fashion Pact
The Fashion Pact was launched in 2019 at the G7 Summit meeting by French President Emmanuel Macron and françois-Henri Pinault Chairman and CEO of Kerring. It was created as there was a lack of collaboration between the big brands in the industry. It is a mission to create a coalition of companies in the fashion and textile industry that are all committed to environmental adjustments in 3 key areas: stopping global warming, restoring biodiversity and protecting the oceans. This Pact was an example of the fashion industry trying to make an effort to become more sustainable and this is great. Fashion is a big problem from an environmental point of view especially Fast Fashion, by creating this Pact they have a range of brands prepared to make a change and fight for a more sustainable future going forward.
Gabrielle Chanel Fashion Manifesto
Gabrielle Chanel created her fashion manifesto focusing on Chanel’s design codes. The manifesto takes you through her life and the key moments in Chanel history. When Chanel started designing, the fashion world was dominated by Paul Poiret. Chanel opened her first shop in 1910 on Paris’s Rue Cambon, going from strength to strength to create fashions most famous house. Chanel rewrote the rules. I found her manifesto fascinating, you can truly see the meanings behind all of her references and how important her upbringing was to help create the iconic brand.
Karl Lagerfeld’s Fashion Manifesto
In 2008 Karl Lagerfeld gave a speech at Fashion Group International’s Night of Stars. His speech came as a dissection of the fashion industry from the point of view of Karl. One of the topics he focused on was how fashion is not just fashion, it is so much more than just clothes. It is everywhere. Touching also on how history is still so relevant today and its connections with fashions future. His speech was inspiring but above all true depicting the struggle those many faces within the industry, how it all comes around time after time.
After looking at a range of different fashion manifestos, it has given me a clear understanding of what I would like to include within my fashion manifesto. I want to have a sustainability focus, how clothes have an existence. To question existing practices whilst balancing what one does. Sustainability has been at the core of what I create and think since developing my love for fashion. For that to be portrayed I will have to create a powerful piece with a defiant message.
My manifesto
The Covid-19 Pandemic has had multiple effects on the world. For the fashion industry, it has exacerbated existing pressures and driven almost Darwinian change in an industry that was already struggling. Over the two years, almost all the established businesses have been hit hard, from the major fashion houses to the mass market retailers. December 2020 started with news of several of these retailers including the Arcadia fashion group going bust, despite it being the traditional season of consumption. The fashion industry has existed for hundreds of years, ridden changes through world wars, rationing and major upheaval and will survive. The questions are how will survivors cope- what will success look like and who will be the winners?
Fast fashion has become increasingly topical this year within the mass market, as ethical practices and focus on social and environmental impacts have increased.
How can one make a difference?
Stop buying new!
If you cant stop, reduce. Don’t buy into trends, they come at a huge cost, of course are incredibly unsustainable, a waste. Save for pieces you know will last forever, that won’t go out of style, that you can revisit time and time. If you are still buying fast fashion, why? We all know too well the atrocious effects these brands have on the world, but also the conditions the workers are kept in. So why do you think that is acceptable?
After writing and composing my full manifesto, I felt it was best to only use extracts from the second half in my film. I felt it important for it to not be too long, as some will lose interest. Instead to be shorter, concise and straight to the point.
Exhibition primary research
“Mend carefully. Think of mending the world at the same time.” Are the instructions given to visitors of the Yoko Ono exhibition, which features broken fragments of ceramic cups and saucers. You are given scissors, glue, twine and tape to do this. Once one has finished mending, you can display your finished piece on the shelves on the walls. This immersive and hands-on experience allows one to see beauty in the discarded objects, transforming them into works of art instead of discarding them. This exhibition was fascinating, I had never seen anything quite like it, it tied in perfectly with sustainability. Each piece is one of a kind and I loved how they all turned out.
Tate Modern
Describing auto-destructive art as ‘public art for industrial societies. Metzgers’ first demonstration was on the 22nd of June 1960 at the Temple Gallery, London. He was concealed at first behind a glass pane covered with a nylon sheet. After applying a hydrochloric acid solution with a brush, the nylon started to dissolve. Slowly, Metzger became visible through the holes he had created, the presentation was accompanied by waste clothing in plastic bags and models for auto-destructive sculptures. I found this installation fascinating, the way one could control the rips and holes that were created on the nylon fabric. the bag filled with textile waste made it more relevant to my project, perhaps this method could be introduced as a way of getting rid of waste fabric? Instead of giving it to landfill?
Fast Fashion
Fast Fashion accounts for 10% of all carbon emissions in the world. It is the second-largest industry behind the oil industry when it comes to pollution. Among the detrimental environmental factors, there is of course the workers. They are not paid fair living wages, they are often forced to work 10-18 hours a day 7 days a week to meet fashion brands deadlines. Their wages are so low that they can’t refuse to work overtime. Research from the Worker Rights Consortium shows garment workers’ average wages have decreased over the past year by 21% from an average of $187 a month to $147. After watching the documentary ‘The True Cost’ it opened my eyes further to the atrocious conditions these poor people have to live in just so they can feed our materialism and demand.
The rise of second hand shopping
Depop 
Vestiaire Collective 
Grailed 
Ebay
Renting clothing
Marcel Duchamp
Marcel Duchamp was a French painter, sculptor, chess player and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada and conceptual art. Duchamp is perhaps most famous for his absurd art titled ‘Fountain’. Duchamp wanted to submit artwork to the Society of Independent Artists’ salon in New York, who had said they would accept any piece of art as long as the artist paid the application fee. Duchamp presented an upside-down urinal signed and dated “R.Mutt,1917” and titled Fountain. His urinal changed the art world forever. Many had opinions on whether or not his urinal was ‘art’, but a decision was made that the fact that he had chosen this object and positioned it in a new way had created a new outlook for the object. His work to me is eccentric, unique, perhaps random but meaningful. You could say he touched on sustainability with his urinal, giving it a new lease of life!
Rick Owens
Rick Owens’s Fall 2021 Ready-To-Wear show was held at his Venice Lido, again without an audience. Rick has adapted well to the pandemic, his shows with only his team present are intimate but no less powerful than before. The models each wearing masks, if not to remind you we are still in a pandemic! For me, the show felt dark, mysterious, otherworldly and showcased Rick at his best. The sea splashing violently against the rocks, the bleak overcast day all added to the atmosphere and mood of the show. Time after time the models strutted fiercely down the runway showcasing their futuristic looks which each encapsulated the brand to the fullest. This show has to be one of my favourite of his, unfortunately, I don’t have my own lido to recreate the fabulous location… but there are aspects I will pull to inspire my piece at the end.
Look 1/48 
Look 10/48 
Look 13/48 
look 48/48
Chopova Lowena
Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena founded their label back in 2017. They both studied at Central Saint Martins on their BA Fashion Programme, discovering they both shared a love for handmade objects and folklore fashion. Their label consists of traditional Bulgarian dress, amazing pleated quilts with leather waistbands, bright colours and patterns. Their pieces are handmade often started in Bulgaria and shipped over to their London studio where they finish the creative process. Sustainability is at the core of their brand with an environmental rating of ‘good.’ They use a high proportion of eco-friendly materials including recycled materials, which also limits the amounts of chemicals, water and wastewater used in production. Chopova Lowena is a great brand that is making a truly positive impact within the new sustainable movement.
Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena
Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney always makes a huge contributing effort to be as sustainable as she can with her brand. Sustainability is truly at the core of her brand DNA, she is honest and transparent with buyers on what Stella McCartney is doing as a brand to make a difference. Stella is a well-known environmental activist, using materials such as Econyl which is made from recycled plastic bottles. It is refreshing to see someone who is not only so passionate about sustainability but also actively making a huge difference. So many brands nowadays preach all things sustainable but are greenwashing.
Sustainability Timeline
2001
No leather, feathers, fur or skin since day one
2008
Began using organic cotton
2010
Went completely PVC free
2012
Introduced bio-acetate in Stella Eyewear, started using recycled polyester, launched Clean by Design in our Italian mills, banned plastic water bottles, ensured all of our wood was sustainably certified, joined the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)
2013
Stopped using angora, introduced eco Alter Nappa, began using solar panels and LEDs in our stores
2014
Ensured that all of our paper and cardboard packaging was certified sustainable
2016
Achieved 100% sustainable viscose, ceased use of virgin cashmere
2017
Launched the first garment made with Bolt Threads’ Microsilk™️ and introduced Econyl® regenerated nylon
2018
Banned the use of mohair, launched the Loop sneaker, committed to going plastic free, released the first vegan Stan Smith and created the first handbag made with Bolt Thread’s Mylo™️ mushroom leather
2019
adidas by Stella McCartney launched the first-ever garments made with Evrnu’s NuCycle™️ yarn and KOBA® Fur Free Fur, a sustainable, recyclable animal alternative made from recycled polyester and plant-based plastics
2020
Announced McCartney A to Z Manifesto, defining and guiding our sustainable vision, debuted Coreva™ biodegradable stretch denim, bio-lenses in Stella McCartney eyewear, bio-acetate frames in Stella Kids eyewear and launched Stellawear – a sustainable innovation fusing underwear and swimwear, made from Aquafil Econyl® regenerated nylon and ROICA™ elastane
2021
Released world’s first-ever garments made from Bolt Thread’s Mylo™️ mushroom leather, launched Air Slide made from recycled industrial waste
Thoughts after designer and initial research
After researching different manifestos and developing my artist research I was able to find a clear vision and idea to stick to. I knew I wanted to focus on sustainability, a topic that is so broad and can be interpreted in so many ways, but meaningful to me. I thought of doing a film with my manifesto appearing in a text or as a voiceover? A film would be really interesting to create and I think it would be the best way to get the information and message across. I am going to look at my favourite films to inspire me and look at potential locations around Kingston.
McQueen Film
My favourite film of all time is the McQueen film, released on the 22nd April 2018. McQueen is a biographical documentary film centred around the life and career of Alexander McQueen. Directed by Ian Bonhôte and co-directed and written by Peter Ettedgui. Alexander McQueen was the first designer I discovered years ago and what got me into fashion. This documentary I find so inspiring I end up watching it most weeks as I feel I learn more and more every time I watch it. He was a genius so ahead of his time, so inspirational to me and many others. The film was produced so well and it tells such a beautiful story. If I could create a short film that resonated on this sort of level that would be my ideal goal, I will draw from these various aspects when I do my location shots for the next step.
Compiling all of my research together, I realised I needed to start looking at locations to help me plan my ideas further. I decided to keep my shoot around Kingston, there are lots of areas I still have not explored and I am sure I can find something suitable.
Location sourcing and planning
Moodboard
Shoot plan
After compiling my research and references I want to go ahead and make a short film centred around sustainability. By creating this film, I feel it is the best way to get across my message and thoughts accompanying my manifesto. my mood board shows the development of me starting to look at the outcome and what I would want to include. My next plan is to finalise a location in Kingston, source some models and get shooting. I had thought of having a big plastic tarpaulin with a mountain of clothes in the middle. the main focus is mass production and proving there is no need to buy new after all but to give garments a new purpose if that be styling them differently or upcycling them. I want to have models walking around the clothes going in and out of the shot, maybe lying on the pile of clothes? Trying new looks out and putting different pieces on and together. I feel having the film in black and white will add mood and ambience to the overall feel as my manifesto is personal, colour may take away and distract I thought? I am unsure yet whether to say my manifesto in a voice over or to have it come up during the film as text, but I am looking forward to shooting the film and seeing what I can achieve!
I refuse to buy new, creating a short film that focuses on repurposing garments, styling them in different ways to show a new outcome.
The chosen location
My model
Look 1 
Look 2 
Look 3 
Look 4
Setting up the location
The final edited film
My film would be projected in A1.
I extracted my four favourite lines of my manifesto to include within my film…
If you cant stop, reduce.
Still buying fast fashion, why?
Do you think that is acceptable?
Stop buying new.
To conclude
This project has given me the freedom to interpret an A1 ‘Poster’ in whichever form I desire, also to be able to explore a pathway within fashion of my choice that I am passionate about. I started by researching what a manifesto was, this gave me a clearer understanding, helping me to then find some of the examples I could utilise for inspiration. This led me to develop an understanding and some initial ideas, research designers whose work inspired me, creating a vision for the finalised concept. Deciding to go with sustainability was the best decision for me, enabling me to uncover some facts and figures within the industry and create further knowledge for my manifesto. Creating my manifesto was relatively straightforward, I knew what I wanted to include and how my messages should be portrayed. Deciding how I could present my manifesto alongside a ‘poster’ was the next challenge, I wanted to incorporate styling but I didn’t want to do another photoshoot… it had to be something different. I decided on shooting a mini film that had multiple looks to showcase styling, alongside a simplified version of my manifesto. Checking out locations, deciding on the number of models, filters, sound and colour is what I did next making multiple mind maps and drafts to help me decide. In the end, I went with a black and white film, it seemed most appropriate as I didn’t want to distract too much from the manifesto. I found reference images on Pinterest to create a mood board, planning the rough looks in my head. After finalising my location, I took my model with a bunch of clothes and set it up how I had envisioned, with a pile of clothes in the centre; so she could walk in and out changing outfits. The focus was on repurposing old garments, restyling them in new ways so one no longer needed to buy new pieces. I am happy with how my film turned out in the end, and have enjoyed the whole creative process throughout this project.
Sophia Lund Blog 